What DoD 5015.02 actually mandates
DoD 5015.02-STD is the baseline electronic records management standard for the U.S. Department of Defense and the de-facto baseline for federal agencies and defense-industrial-base contractors. It sets out requirements for record declaration, classification, retention, audit, and disposition.
Compliance is demonstrated by deploying a Records Management Application (RMA) that has been certified against the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) test suite. Laserfiche Records Management Edition is JITC-certified.
DoD 5015.02 is increasingly cited as a flow-down requirement in CMMC 2.0 contracts, even when not explicitly required. Verify clauses in every prime contract.
The four pillars of DoD 5015.02
1. Record declaration
Every controlled document must be 'declared' a record at a specific lifecycle moment, freezing it from edits and triggering metadata capture.
2. Classification
Records map to record-series with retention codes pulled from NARA-published GRS or agency-specific schedules.
3. Audit and security
Tamper-evident audit trail on every read, write, and disposition action. Role-based access with separation of duties between records officer and end-user.
4. Disposition
Automated retention triggers with approval workflows for transfer, destruction, or permanent archive.
DoD 5015.02 is a records standard, not a storage one — and that distinction is exactly where the compliance lives.
Reynolds + Laserfiche compliance stack
- Laserfiche Records Management Edition (JITC-certified)
- Reynolds-managed retention schedule library
- Tamper-evident audit log archived to immutable storage
- Annual DoD 5015.02 controls review with sign-off package
Reynolds has supported DoD 5015.02 records environments since 2008. Our standard implementation includes a controls-mapping spreadsheet you can hand directly to your DCMA auditor.
Frequently asked questions
What is DoD 5015.02?
DoD 5015.02 is the U.S. Department of Defense standard for electronic records management software. It defines mandatory requirements for capturing, categorizing, retaining, and disposing of records with full audit trails — and is widely used beyond defense as a records-management benchmark.
Is DoD 5015.02 about storage or records management?
Records management, not physical storage. It certifies how an electronic records system classifies, retains, and disposes of records. Reynolds delivers DoD 5015.02-aligned records management through Laserfiche — not as a storage offering.
What federal law governs records management?
The Federal Records Act and Title 44 of the U.S. Code govern federal records, and the National Archives (NARA) issues the regulations. DoD 5015.02 is the software standard that helps agencies meet those obligations electronically.
How do you become DoD 5015.02 compliant?
Use DoD 5015.02-certified records software, configure it to your retention schedule, enforce classification and disposition with audit trails, and document the program. Laserfiche provides certified records management.
Who needs DoD 5015.02 compliance?
Defense agencies and their contractors handling government records, plus any organization that wants a rigorous, audit-ready electronic records standard.
How does Reynolds support DoD 5015.02 records compliance?
Reynolds implements and configures DoD 5015.02-certified records management in Laserfiche — classification, retention, disposition, and audit trails — for defense, government, and regulated organizations.
Resources
1 FILE- 01 · SpreadsheetDoD 5015.02 Controls Mapping (Spreadsheet)Maps each DoD 5015.02 control to the Laserfiche feature that satisfies it.
